Gimbaled Radar Mount Concern
Calypso is equipped with a Questus model 100 backstay-mounted gimbaling radar mount for her Furuno 1831 radar. We have always liked this system, since...
Handheld GPS Chart Plotters: Watch Out For That Rock!
Almost all portable GPS receivers include track plotting that may sometimes be confused with electronic charts. The units discussed here, however, have in addition...
New Handheld GPS Plotters
No sooner had we wrapped up our review of three GPS plotters in the May 1, 1998 issue than we got a preview of...
Pocket Inverters: Exeltech, Statpower Stand Out
In the February 15, 1998 issue we reviewed large inverters capable of producing up to 2500 watts. For those of you with smaller AC...
River of Forgotten Days
When it comes to promoting my books, my wife says I’m much too shy. She tells friends that I won’t even ask a book...
Raytheon Still Top LCD Radar
Early radar antennas needed large, open radiator arrays with correspondingly large motors to turn them. These evolved into compact, enclosed antennas that weigh as...
Offshore Log: Shurflo Pump Lacks Oomph
Our Shurflo pump has been a disappointment. At the time we installed it, it was the highest-capacity pump of its style available, and smaller...
Optronics Blue Eye Shines Bright Among Handheld Spotlights
If youve ever powered down the Intracoastal Waterway at night in the rain or came into an inlet from the sea looking for channel...
Barometers: Altitude and Speedtech Tops for Forecasting
It takes very little skill or technology to know that youre in the midst of a storm. It takes considerably more to know that...
Barometers: Altitude and Speedtech Tops for Forecasting
It takes very little skill or technology to know that youre in the midst of a storm. It takes considerably more to know that...
Small Boat, Big Keel Why This 27 Footer Works
What makes a small sailboat truly seaworthy? In this video, we take a deep dive into the Pacific Seacraft Orion 27, a rugged, long-keel...
Latest Sailboat Review
Island Packet Estero Used Boat Review
Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot, shoal-draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter. After sailing the Estero on Florida’s Sarasota Bay and inspecting its interior, construction, and systems, Practical Sailor testers noted that the shoal-water cruiser will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.